Landry v. Williamson

335 S.W.2d 400, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 2200
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 19, 1960
Docket13489
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 335 S.W.2d 400 (Landry v. Williamson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Landry v. Williamson, 335 S.W.2d 400, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 2200 (Tex. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinions

BELL, Chief Justice.

Appellant was the stepson of appellee. Appellant’s mother, the wife of appellee at the time of her death, died January 31, 1951. Two years later on January 20, 1953, appellant sued appellee asking for an accounting of the community property alleged [402]*402to have belonged to appellee and appellant’s mother at the date of the mother’s death. In December, 1958, an amended petition was filed setting up four counts. One count sought to recover a money judgment from appellee for a conversion of the one-half of the community property appellant inherited from his mother. His mother left no will and no administration was ever taken out on her estate. One count sought an accounting. One count sought a judgment declaring appellant to be the owner of a one-half interest in a 15 acre tract of land into which community property had allegedly gone.' This count was conditioned on a finding that the tract was appellee’s homestead. The fourth count was in trespass-to-try title and for partition of the 15 acre tract and for one-half interest in two lots that had been sold by appellee.

Appellee denied any conversion, but pled that if there was a technical conversion such was not fraudulent with intent to deprive appellant of any property, but that disposition was in accordance with the agreement and desires of both parties. Further, appellee pled that on the death of appellant’s mother legal title to her one-half of the community real estate vested in appellant and if he no longer owned the real estate it was because of his own action and not appellee’s. Appellee pled appellant told him he wanted none of the property and that appellant voluntarily conveyed his interest in the homestead to C. R. Hall.

On trial before the court without a jury, judgment was rendered for appellant for $7,885 and appellant was denied any interest in the real estate.

The evidence shows that on January 31, 1951, the date of appellant’s mother’s death, appellee and his wife owned as community property two pieces of real estate. They owned their home, which was fully paid for, it being located on the west ½ of Lot 3 and the adjoining east ½ of Lot 4 in Block 17, Fullerton Place in Houston. They also owned Lots 29 and 30 in Block 136 in Magnolia Park Subdivision in Houston. The homestead first above described was conveyed to appellee and appellant’s mother by deed naming both as grantees. The other piece of property was conveyed only to ap-pellee. They also owned some personal property.

Appellant, the adopted son of Mrs. Williamson, was a small boy when his mother and appellee married. He was reared in the home of appellee, though he was never adopted by appellee, and the relations between the two were good. After appellant married, he and his wife continued to live in the home with appellee. They lived there until the home was sold in April, 1951, and then lived in the new home provided by ap-pellee until the latter part of 1951. Appellant was 23 years of age when his mother died.

On April 28, 1951, appellee, by general warranty deed, conveyed the homestead to C. R. Hall. The conveyance was made as a down payment on 15 acres of land, being Lots 265-268 of Aldine Gardens, Fifth Section, which 15 acres was conveyed by Hall to appellee. Appellee was allowed credit of $8,500 by reason of this conveyance. Ap-pellee also executed to Hall his note for $1,500 and assumed an indebtedness which was a charge against the 15 acres in the amount of $10,000. These amounts had been fully paid at the time of trial. The evidence does not reflect the source of the funds by which payment was made. However, appellee worked at the White Top Cab Company, a corporation, the stock of which the community owned. He also was in the trucking business. He paid the $1,500 note within a year and the $10,000 indebtedness was paid in monthly installments over the next seven years.

The Magnolia Park property was sold in 1956. Legal title to it was in ap-pellee. A purchaser without notice of appellant’s equitable interest would get good title. On trial it was agreed that the property should go to the purchaser. However, the value of it was included in the commu[403]*403nity assets for which appellee was held accountable.

The evidence showed that the Magnolia Park property was rented for $50 per month from some time in 1952 until its sale in July, 1956. On trial, the court stated if the attorneys were going into this he would stop the trial and appoint an auditor because there were taxes, insurance and maintenance involved. Counsel then in open court waived an accounting of the rental from this property.

On October 17, 1951, appellant made an affidavit stating his mother and stepfather owned no community property. The next day he executed a general warranty deed conveying the homestead to C. R. Hall. He explained this by stating that Mr. Thompson, attorney for appellee, called him to come by and sign a paper that he thought was to enable appellee to get in the safety deposit box. He went, not to Mr. Thompson’s office, but to Mr. Crystal’s office in the Shell Building where he signed a paper (apparently the affidavit dated October 17, 1951). The next day Mr. Thompson called and told him he signed the wrong paper. He went back (apparently October 18) and signed the paper. Mr. Williamson, ap-pellee, was apparently present because appellant testified that when Mr. Williamson handed him the affidavit, Williamson told him he had no interest because there was no community property and “they” were not even married when they bought the property. He said the instrument was not explained to him. After he signed it, he gave it to appellee. (We cannot tell from the testimony when the witness is talking about the affidavit and when he is talking about the deed on some occasions.) Finally appellant testified he took the affidavit home and •on discussing it with his wife, he became aware of what community property was. He then delivered it to Mr. Williamson.

Mr. Williamson also made an affidavit October 17, 1951, stating there was no community property. He stated in testimony that he presumed there was no community property. He then stated he actually did not know what was meant by community property. He did not know who prepared the affidavits. The affidavits were made for the purpose of clearing title to the property sold. He knew appellant was told what they were for. Mr. Landry never asked him for any rents collected from the Magnolia Park property. He told Landry Mr. Hall wanted him to sign a paper showing he had no interest in the property. Landry told him he didn’t want any of the property. He felt he owned the home since Landry said he wanted no part of it.

The evidence showed that the community owned $750 worth of furniture, beauty shop equipment which was sold for $200, and there was a bank account containing $998. These items at least were found by the court. Appellant contended that stock in the corporation was worth at least $7,000 though appellee testified it had no value and he transferred the business to a person agreeing to assume the debts of the corporation.

The court found the community owed funeral bills for the funeral of Mrs. Williamson and her mother of $900, a bill for a monument of $1,276, and notes at the Harrisburg National Bank of $2,502. The indebtedness totaled $4,678. The personal property, including the bank account, amounted to $1,948.

Appellant claims the evidence shows the community owned a 1950 GMC truck and a 1948 Hudson automobile. The Hudson was in appellee’s name but he testified it belonged to the corporation.

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Related

Moran v. Adler
570 S.W.2d 883 (Texas Supreme Court, 1978)
Sheldon Petroleum Co. v. Peirce
546 S.W.2d 954 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1977)
Landry v. Williamson
335 S.W.2d 400 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1960)

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Bluebook (online)
335 S.W.2d 400, 1960 Tex. App. LEXIS 2200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/landry-v-williamson-texapp-1960.